My wife and I have recently completed a two week holiday in France, partly in Brittany on the north west tip of the country and partly in the south west, in the Perigord region. Being a Curbivore, the camera came too.
Every French town and village will still have at least one Renault 4 in it – it seems to be almost a regulation. In the case of Dagnan, the first one we saw was a van, suitably prepared for its duties, as advertised on the side. If you don’t read French, I’ll reveal what that is at end, to keep you reading….
The Renault 4 was a response to the Citroen 2CV, with a not dissimilar layout, although the engine was a lot larger at 845cc and water cooled, and the car had a full hatchback, almost estate layout, rather than the 2CV’s roll back roof. If you wish, it’s a 2CV that has been told to conform a bit.
If the Renault 4 was a response to the 2CV, then the Renault 6 can be seen as the closest competitor to the later and more powerful 2CV derivative, the Citroen Ami 6 and 8 series. I won’t go into much detail here, as there is a full CC in the skunk works, but the Renault was introduced in 1968, lasted until 1986 and had an 1100 cc engine option from 1970. Based on the black grille and square headlights, this is 1974 on car. Even in France, this is becoming rare now.
Alongside the Renault 6 in the market was the Peugeot 104 which was a more conventional supermini similar in style to a Renault 5 or perhaps even a more compact Golf, although with the gearbox beneath the engine, BMC/Issigonis style. Very scarce now, so any sighting, even through a farm yard gateway is worth stopping for. When it’s paired with a 2CV, that’s a definite stop. Engines ranged from 954cc to 1360cc, and production lasted from 1972 to until 1988.
Early 104s were actually four door cars and the fifth door, or tailgate, was added in 1976 without changing the profile.
In 1974, Peugeot launched a three door version of the 104, known as the 104Z, and built on a shorter 88 inch wheelbase, 7 inches down on the five door. One of these is seen here lined up with the last big Renault, the 2002-9 Vel Satis saloon. This was an almost uniquely configured car, being around five inches taller than you might expect but clearly not a MPV (monospace in French) and equipped in a luxurious manner, with wood veneer and leather in a modern style. Space and light, from big windows, are truly luxuries, and only Renault truly seemed to recognise this. An appealing alternative to the German style saloon, if commercially unsuccessful.
One reason the Peugeot 104 was not offered as a hatchback was to prevent it cannibalising sales from the nominally larger and more expensive 204 Break, or estate. Again, as it’s a true Peugeot estate, CC status is assured and the white mice in the back office are hard at work, and as production finished in 1976, sighting one is noteworthy.
Modern France was evident too, of course. This Renault Clio was our hire car, but parking it alongside a Zurich registered Cadillac Fleetwood sedan was a bit unusual to say the least.
The Clio was a 2015 car; can anyone tell me more about the Cadillac? 4.5 litre and front wheel drive doesn’t sound very French to me.
Italy was represented too, and not just by this Fiat 500 (Nuova 500) seen alongside a Citroen Picasso, a five seat MPV based on the mid size Citroen C4 hatchback. The contrast in size seems very striking, but almost more note worthy, through rarity, was this Fiat Uno.
The Fiat Uno was Fiat’s 1984 supermini, and with the Peugeot 205, arguably one of the class leaders at the time. This example is a Uno 45, powered by a 1.0 litre four cylinder engine. The Uno was one of the first small cars to utilise extra height to create space and comfort, in the way the Ford Focus did in 1998. How innovations are forgotten now.
Many of the commonly ascribed attributes of German cars are not ascribed to any French car, and these next two show examples of that. First, the compact rear drive sports saloon, in this case a BMW 1502, which I wasn’t fully aware of.
The 1502 was low compression version of the 1602, sharing a similar 1573cc engine, introduced in 1975 and lasting after the other models in the range had been replaced by the 3 series in 1976. Looking back, the natural engine for this car was surely the 2.0 litre, but as an entry level economy model this is not a bad spot. Visually, there is not much to distinguish it from the 2002, except the narrower wheels, and the owner is addressing that.
Is it just me, or is there some Simca 1301/1501 in the styling of these cars? A nice car from the day when BMW had a more easy going image than perhaps they do now. And doesn’t the colour take you back to the 1976 in one quick move?
And of course, France has long had a difficult relationship with truly large cars. Much as France likes Jaguars, they don’t buy many large cars of any type, so to see a 1973 on Mercedes Benz 280SE outside a hardware store and being used for carrying 4m lengths of cut timber was a surprise. Out of the shot, the owner was carrying 30 gallon drums to the car as well.
Aside from the wheel arch trims, there’s little sign that this car is not direct from Stuttgart. In two weeks and 3000km, this was the only S Class Mercedes-Benz of any type or age that we saw.
A 1984 Opel Kadett D, the first aerodynamically styled GM car in Europe, was also noteworthy, and most likely this was diesel powered. Rural France keeps its cars going, and these have a reputation for being a sturdy piece. The car in the background is 2003-10 Ford C-Max, a five seat MPV based on the second generation European Ford Focus.
The Kadett (or Vauxhall Astra in the UK) was competing against many cars; one of them was the Renault 11, on which the US built Renault Encore was based. This is a post 1985 facelift model, with the larger headlamps and swept back nose. Behind it is a Citroen DS3, France’s closest competitor to the Mini. Some say that this is not a true DS; that’s as maybe but since DS has been identified as a stand alone brand now, it’s not a Citroen either.
And to close, the British contingent; France does like British sport scars, and there’s nothing more British than a tidy MGB roadster in Antique white. This one was outside our hotel for two nights, although we did not meet the driver.
Or may be a Triumph Spitfire Mark IV, truly showing the patina of a daily (or at least frequent) driver. France was for a long time the home of the yellow headlight, and this 1970-74 car shows typical yellow bulbs within the lamp units.
Such bulbs are pretty rare to see now, even on older cars, but these are still working on a forty year British car. Obviously.
If you don’t want a British sports scar, how about a second generation 1982-87 Honda Prelude? Next to the great looking (especially in that red colour) current Renault Clio, you have to ask “Just when did small cars get that big?”
Last, but not least, an aged van. Regular followers will know of my thing about old French vans and that extends to some others too, like this 1978-86 Ford Transit short wheelbase minibus. The Transit may not have the charisma of the Citroen H van or even a Renault Master, but like any good compact van, it is truly a box on wheels, and in this case one that once had seats in it, though these were not in evidence, making it a van with windows now. This generation is fifty years old this year, and deservedly a CC is on this year’s bucket list.
And the user of the Renault van? The Institut International de Dressage des Mouches a la Recherche des Truffes or the International Institute for Training Flies to Search for Truffles. This appears to an old and little used technique, based on observing the behaviour of the flies, which will not lay eggs on a truffle. So now you know.
All in all, a good holiday, with no parking tickets, speeding fines and just the one incorrect use of a one-way street.
Thank you for another splendid read Roger, hope you had a great holiday. The BMW is growing on me though I’m in 2 minds about the colour.
So, are those French-market-specific headlamps on the 280SE? They don’t look like the normal european lamps for that car, even ignoring the yellow bulbs.
The Caddy appears to be a 1987 model. What, no Simcas?
No Simcas in the wild but there was a Talbot Horizon at large that I never caught at the right moment.
Reminds me that I can’t remember the last time I saw an Omni/Horizon, and they made a few 1990’s before quitting.
Simcas are pretty scarce outside of events … rust took a huge toll on them, their fragile gearbox didn’t help either
Thanks Roger for all the photos. My favorite was the Peugeot 104Z. There is a touch of late eighties Corolla FX or maybe early nineties Mazda 323 at the rear, but the front is a little bit like a 504. Looks like a great way to explore France then or now. That period from about 1960 to 1985 when car designers tried to show off how roomy a tiny car can be is greatly missed. I am a little surprised that the Europeans have all inflated their hatchbacks and even taken up CUVs. Maybe the USA should make a pitch to sell our big pickups in Europe, the way we used to with Cadillac. With smaller gas and diesel turbos, who knows.
A pickup is a commercial vehicle, just like a van. Buyers-owners prefer a light truck with a flatbed and drop-down sideboards. No one buys a pickup or a light flatbed truck as a family car. If you want a big and tall family car, you buy a van with rear seats (if you also run a business) or an SUV.
Light flatbed trucks are based on the Ford Transit, VW Transporter, Mercedes Sprinter, Iveco Daily, etc.etc. The norm is a 4-cylinder diesel, circa 2.0 to 3.0 liter displacement.
And then you’ve got a small percentage that wants to stand out from the crowd and buys a US pickup. As far as I know, not one of them (I mean the typical pickup segment, not the bigger trucks) has ever been officially imported into Europe. But if you want one, there are plenty of specialists who import them, regardless the vehicle’s age.
Mind you, I see more (Dodge) Rams here than other Dodge products…
Most pickups here are just commuter vehicles with the utility being an added benefit and political/lifestyle statement. If offered in EU, you might find more than a few takers. Western countries seem more and more homogenized. An issue might be the different diesel environmental regulations. USA regulations are very stiff on particulate,(smog/diesel soot). In Europe CO2 emissions are far more important. To change that could be done, but difficult on a small batch of cars
The Chevrolet Colorado with the 2.8 liter (VM Motori) diesel could be something. Rebadged as Opel-Vauxhall.
That would be a – VW Amarok / Ford Ranger / Toyota HiLux / Isuzu D-max / Mitsubishi L200 / Nissan Navara – competitor.
All of them have 4-cylinder diesel engines, although the Ford is also offered with a 3.2 liter inline-5 diesel in the top model.
The beginning of the post takes me back to the early 80s, when we spent spring break on the french side of St. Martin in the carribbean. The island was crawling with french cars, especially Renault 4s and Citroen 2CVs! We even had to help pull a Peugeot 604 out of a muddy bog on a dirt road. I asked my Dad about the 604, as I’d only seen 504s, and he said it’s like a french Mercedes.
I doubt a 45 yr old Triumph Spitfire is in actuality reliable enough to be a daily driver 🙂
Why? There are plenty of old Triumphs in daily use round here why not in France also.
They are pretty simple, are easy to source parts for, and perfect to keep in the garage ready for the sunny day. Garaged and with low annual miles, with just enough value to be worth fixing, many will just go on and on.
Interesting to see the split red/amber taillights on the Cadillac.
Minus the chrome crests (deemed too Broughamy I guess) those red/amber export tails appeared on the “touring” versions of Seville, Eldorado and (I think) Sedan de Ville, but on no home market Fleetwoods.
Back then GM made Europe style mods to US cars you wouldn’t expect them to sell there. I don’t see the side marker lights though. Some had different engines also.
Look closely at the wraparound rear bumper trim. That’s where the marker lights are hiding.
According to Peter Mayle, pigs & dogs are other popular means for finding truffles, & the trade offers opportunities for petty tax evasion.
“International Institute?” Yeah, as in “International House of Pancakes,” or “World Series”☺
International as in “nobody else would think of doing this”!
The BMW 1502 is a find. That was introduced right after the 1973 energy crisis, which also caused a global recession. Another car introduced at this time was the E9 CS 2.5, a smaller-engined version with lower level of trim. Probably quite a rare car now.
Lots of other terrific finds, like the 104.
If the weight loss and the economy improvement were large enough to measure, the 1502 might have been quite the package. Especially for those who thought the new 3 series grew too much.
We got a few of those early Opels here and I’m told there were two diesel engines fitted at random one Opel one from Isuzu and the Isuzu versions are indestructable and prized, Later this car was produced in Korea with Pontiac badging and are not so popular though a friends daughter got a good run from one as a first car.
The Opel diesel is pretty durable as well, just not very refined. Kadetts all rusted like hell given the proper circumstances, so often the engines outlasted the rest of the car. SW France is relatively dry and doesn’t get much snow, so rust is less of an issue.
Which didn’t stop pretty much every Simca from turning to brown dust anyway, even there.
The first pic of the Mercedes has another interesting car lurking in the background; a black Renault Supercinq, which replaced the original R5 in the early eighties. It remained in production when it’s replacement, the Clio was launched, although it then became known as the Campus. At the time, it was the entry level car in Renault’s range. I can’t remember the last time I saw a live one. To the Renault’s right is a Peugeot 306, identical to my other half’s daily driver. Ugh.
The Supercinq is still pretty numerous in France.
The 306 is actually a 307 🙂
Oops. You’re right.
Roger, I was intrigued by your comment about the height of the Vel Satis. It’s less than an inch taller than the unloved 5th-gen Taurus. That Taurus was praised for the unusually open interior and high seating position, but it wasn’t enough to win buyers.
The 6th gen Taurus was lowered by almost an inch. It’s still a tall car, but its bunker-like styling makes it seem lower. The Chrysler 300 is yet another two inches lower.
I believe the current Taurus is internally the same structure as the tall one, originally the 500. That’s why the belt line is so high. All they could do to lower it was chop the roof. They are know for being big outside and relatively small inside. A new big Ford sedan should be coming soon.
I love the tiny little Pugs .
-Nate
Great photos, Roger! Southern France is a gold mine for old cars since the drier climate and lack of snow keep the rust monster away. And for the French to beat up their cars, no matter how old, rare, or expensive. Few cars older than ~7 years have no dents at all.
PSA cars from the 90s were fully galvanised at the factory what is this rust monster you speak of?
I mean cars like those Roger photographed, almost all (much) older and gone entirely from rainier places further north. And not just French cars.
You’re right though, rust is no longer on issue on more recent French and Italian cars (unlike some Germans).
As usual with your photos Roger I comb the backgrounds looking for examples of my cars one is French after all and none seen your British car show shots never feature the other one either yet both were quite popular in their day, I guess my Citroen has hit CC status at a mere 17 years old.
Nice selection. Didn’t know there was a 1502. That W116 is in nice nick especially as it’s a first year model. Those yellow lens headlights look very desirable. I’d love a set of those.
I was surprised to learn (from an “old Top Gear” clip on YouTube) that the French yellow headlight requirement lasted until EU standardization killed it in 1992. That’s eight years longer than the US sealed-beam headlight requirement.
Some wonderful finds there.
About the Vel Satis – does the name actually mean something in French, or is it just a manufactured “word”?
“Vel Satis” doesn’t mean anything in French. It was 100% manufactured, I guess it was supposed to sound classy…
Thanks Olivier. It sounds very classy to people who don’t speak French. 🙂
Interestingly I found that it’s short for Velocité Satisfaction.
Speed and satisfaction.
IIRC, the transverse engine in the 104 was leaned over backwards at 72 degrees. Is this a record?
Peugeot Citroen trait laying the engine over backwards it keeps the majority of the weight within the wheelbase improves handling causes weeping cam cover gaskets but seems to be a plus from what Ive experienced with them.
Back when I was a kid, I was the same way, checking out all the different cars in Europe, while my parents were more interested in historical sites and scenery.
Roger, we’re both wrong. It’s a 308. As my other half gleefully pointed out to the resident ‘car expert’ of the house…
I sit corrected 😉
The Uno is a first gen model. It’s interior space is much bigger than a 205, a Fiesta or even a 1st gen Golf. The dash and controls are pure 80’s Giugiaro.
The Brazilian Uno looks very similar outside, but mechanically is very different.
A car that was pure genius.
It would be nice to know if what you saw had the FIRE engine.